Ivan Z. Feng

Welcome to my homepage! (Click here to enjoy the background music I chose for this page, sung by me.) My name is Ivan Feng, where Ivan is pronounced as “AI-vn,” and Feng is pronounced as “FENG.” My nom de plume is Ivan Mathman. I am a Ph.D. candidate in pure mathematics at USC, advised by Professor Jason Fulman, with expected graduation in Spring 2027. For Fall 2026, I am a Graduate School Fellow.

I am a mathematics enthusiast. My primary research interests are probability, especially Markov chain theory, and algebraic combinatorics; more can be found on my “Research” page. My paper, “The Dual Burnside Process,” was published in the Journal of Theoretical Probability in August 2026. My current joint work with J. E. Paguyo analyzes a twisted Bose–Einstein Markov chain and applies it to sampling parking functions and Dyck paths. I believe the future of math lies in different thinking and intuitive taste. As a math researcher, I’m committed to leaving my own mark upon modern math and propelling its development to the best of my ability.

I am also an enthusiast in math education. Here are my Teaching Statement and “Teaching” page on this website. I consider math education a form of artistic expression, a way to show my appreciation for the rest of humanity. Just as a painter enjoys painting and a writer enjoys writing, I enjoy teaching. As a math educator, I’m committed to making math attractive and super easy to understand for the public.

From Fall 2021 through Spring 2026, I served as a Teaching Assistant (TA) across undergraduate and graduate mathematics. I am grateful for my students’ overwhelmingly positive teaching evaluations. For fellow TAs and teaching enthusiasts — my paper, “The Math Teaching Atlas: Trails, Anchors, and Compass in Action,” published in the Journal of Humanistic Mathematics, presents the framework behind my approach to making mathematics clear and intuitive, while this article reflects my experience as a memorable and impactful TA. I presented the Math Teaching Atlas at USC’s Math Education Seminar in March 2026 and at MAA MathFest in August 2026. Any thoughts and insights are welcome!

In the 2026–2027 academic year, I serve as Graduate Colloquium Director and work in Alumni Outreach for MGSA (Mathematics Graduate Student Association). In 2025–2026, I served as President of Math DRP (Directed Reading Program). From 2023 to 2025, I served as MGSA Digital Director, responsible for its website design and improvement; I held a firm commitment to the artistic stewardship of the website, consistently reflected in the entries of my Website Update Journal on the MGSA homepage.

Speaking of artistic expression, I’m an amateur actor, voice actor, and singer; I’m building my presence as a distinctive and emotionally driven performer. I love it. Recently, in July 2026, I played George in the USC School of Cinematic Arts short film What Could Go Wrong? I’m also a magician who’s been performing since I was 7; I know the fundamentals of magic, enjoy collecting professional magic props, and can perform hundreds of tricks. In addition, I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and am a writer and poet passionate about literature and about reading and writing poetry. For example, this poem, “A Sonnet for Calc 3 Scholars,” penned in November 2023, uses mathematics as the “language” to articulate my emotional resonance and connections. Here’s the poem’s video, complemented by a voiceover from Professor Emerson. Likewise, this poem, “A Sonnet for Math 225 Scholars,” penned in March 2024 (actually on my birthday), is recorded by Professor Geske; video here.